Pete Kraus <Pete_Kraus@Emory.Org> wrote:
>Rob O'Brien wins the coveted q-list Arcane-Information-of-the-Day award
>for remembering the BMW turbo-diesel powered Vixen motorhome.
>Honorable mention goes to Frank Bauer for knowing the name began
>with a V. As for other BMW turbo motors, I don't have my sales catalog
>collection handy to confirm it, but I could have sworn both the 2002
>Turbo and the 745i were official U.S. spec models. I know I've seen
>both of them Stateside.
About a year ago, there was an as-new '84 745i for sale here locally at
$1800. Were it not for our fuel prices, ...
It was sold within a week, BTW.
>Bear with me, there's a tenuous Audi connection here. Turbo-diesels
>are gaining (or about to gain) an unexpected reputation as performance
>vehicles in Europe. There are reputed to be some excellent engines
>around, including Audis. Do any European listers have first-hand
>experience with them?
Yes, I've been outdragged by TDI VWs and Audis in just about any car I
drove, so when the new Passat came out, I test-drove a 90 hp TDI (there's
also the 110 hp version). This engine was silky-smooth, with a near-flat
torque curve and really quick if you stamped on it. It belied its 90 hp- it
felt much more powerful. Very impressive, especially for a diesel hater
like me. Others seem to agree: about 75% of all Audis sold here are TDIs.
And that's in a country where there's an engine-killing emissions test for
over 3-year-old diesels (they just rev it to the max).
> Are they available as quattros?
Some are. There's even a TDI Audi Cabriolet.
I've heard that the new 2.5 TDI is even better. I'll see if I can try that
one...
Tom
PS Test-drove the new Alfa 156 1.6 twin spark yesterday. I'd never driven
an Alfa before, and I was very impressed. This car drives as well as it
looks, and the engine noise is superb. Order now, take delivery in
January... I guess it's a success.
_______________________________________________________________________
Tom Nas Zeist, The Netherlands
tnas@euronet.nl
1988 Audi 80 1.8S, mostly Tizianrot metallic, 218,000km
'The singer will have to go.'
-- Manager Eric Easton,
speaking of his new talents, The Rolling Stones